Astros pitcher Backe leaves game with injury

Astros pitcher Backe leaves game early with injuryRibcage injury will force Backe to miss at least one start

BRIAN McTAGGART, Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle

Published
6:30 am CDT, Sunday, March 8, 2009

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Considering he came to spring training this year trying to win a job in the starting rotation, the last thing Brandon Backe needed was to get injured.

Backe could be forced to miss at least one start after suffering a strain of the left posterior intercostal muscle, which is more commonly referred to as a strained ribcage.

The injury occurred during the first inning of Backe’s third spring training outing (second start) today against Pittsburgh when his left foot slipped while he was delivering his final pitch of the inning at McKechnie Field.

“The last pitch of the first inning my front foot, my landing foot, slipped on me a little bit and caused me to basically collapse on that side,” Backe said. “I guess what caused it was the ribs pushed together or whatever.”

Backe stayed in the game and threw one more inning before being pulled after two innings of work, one shy of his target goal of three innings. He allowed two hits and one walk.

“I don’t need to have any setbacks,” he said. “I’m hoping for the best that maybe I can have this extra day with the day off (Thursday) and be able to pitch my next start, and at the worst just is one start maybe and that’s it.

Brandon Backe missed five weeks during the 2005 season the first time he strained his left intercostal muscle.

Brandon Backe missed five weeks during the 2005 season the first time he strained his left intercostal muscle.

Photo: James Nielsen, Houston Chronicle

Photo: James Nielsen, Houston Chronicle

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Brandon Backe missed five weeks during the 2005 season the first time he strained his left intercostal muscle.

Brandon Backe missed five weeks during the 2005 season the first time he strained his left intercostal muscle.

Photo: James Nielsen, Houston Chronicle

Astros pitcher Backe leaves game with injury

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“Hopefully I can come back out and throw 50, 55 pitches and work my way up to 90 or so pitches towards the end of spring training.” But intercostal strains are delicate injuries. Lefthander Wandy Rodriguez hasn’t pitched in a game since suffering a similar strain Feb. 27, and Backe missed five weeks late in the 2005 season with a left intercostal strain. “Pitching is so violent, and that’s a pretty sensitive area,” Backe said. “I’m just hoping it’s not as bad as it was in ’05 or as bad as Wandy’s. It’s pretty aggravating to have this happen. It’s not due to lack of conditioning or anything like that. Just a minor slip on the mound caused this to happen.”

Backe didn’t fault the mound, but did say it was rather muddy in the first inning and filled his spikes with dirt. He told team trainers he wanted to try to pitch three innings, but the Astros didn’t want to take any chances.

“It gave me a good jolt,” Backe said. “I knew something happened. Just luckily it was a pitch the guy popped up and I got out of the inning. The second inning, I felt it the whole time and couldn’t really let the ball go because I didn’t want to hurt it anymore.

“I wanted to see if I could get through the inning I was supposed to get through. I came in from the second inning and I asked them to let me go out and they didn’t want me to.”